Roofing



June 16, 1959 E, F, @UMRv 2,890,663

' ROOFING v Filed Marn 22, 1954 f0.3 INVENTOR.

United States Patent ROOFING Earl F. Cutler, Palos Park, 11i. l

` Application March 22, 1954, Serial No. 417,603

3 Claims. (Cl. 108-7.)

My invention relates to rooting and analogous weatherproof outside coverings for building structures, such as siding. It includes among its objects and advantages insulating value previously obtainable only with thick layers of conventional insulation, but at a cost that is almost negligible compared with the cost of such conventional insulation.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a diagram of a portion of the equipment for producing a product according to the invention;

Figure 2 is -a plan view of a conventional three-tab shingle strip; V

Figure 3 is a section of a new laid roof;

Figure 4 is a plan view of a conventional lock shingle;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section in the same plane as Figure 3 indicating a modication; and

Figure 6 is a similar section of another modification.

In the embodiment selected to illustrate the invention,

the conventional strip shingle 10 has three Itabs 12, and i offsets 14 at both ends, which offsets, when two shingles are in abutment, define a slot of equal width with the slots 16 separating the tabs 12. The shingle body is conventional and includes a layer 1S of felt saturated with asphaltum, a top layer 2() of asphaltum, a surfacing 22 of grits embedded in the layer 20, and a bottom layer 2.4 of asphaltum. All the structures so far described are conventional, and the invention is equally applicable to individual shingles or strip shingles with tabs 12 of hexagonal or other shapes.

According to the preferred embodiment of the .invention a thin film 26 of metallic aluminum is adhered to the bottom surface of the shingle strip 10.

As indicated in Figure l a conventional strip of roong material 28, which constitutes the layer 18 of the nished product, is passed between rollers 30 and 32. The roller 32 dips in a bath 34 of liquid asphaltum and applies the layer 24 to the bottom of the moving strip. The discharge nozzle 33 pours the material to form the top layer 20 on the strip 28, and the roller 30 levels it. Subsequently, the grits 22 are deposited on the upper surface of the strip, as by a conventional hopper 35 after which the strip may pass around a roller 36 and diagonally upward around a roller 38 and then onward at 40 to storage or a cutting machine. Between the rollers 36 and 38 the conventional dusting of ne mica may be put on the bottom of the strip from the hopper 42 After the strip leaves the roller 32, and while the layer 24 is still hot enough to be tacky, the lm 26 may be adhered to the underside of the strip by simple juxtaposition and gentle pressure.

I have indicated a storage roller 44 from which the strip 26 is continuously withdrawn to pass around an applicator roll including the rigid core 46 and a resilient facing 48 such as sponge rubber. Good results may often be secured by merely pressing the roll 44 itself directly against the moving strip 26, but for greater certainty in securing ample adhesion with products of a 2,890,663 Patented June 16, 1959 ICC wide variety, the resilient applicator roll 48 is more dependable.

In Figure 3 I have indicated the configuration of part of a finished new roof using shingle elements according to Figure 2. In that View I have indicated four such elements 10-2, 10-4, 10-6, and 10-8. For such a roof as -indicated in Figure 3, l fashion the applicator roll 32 so that the strip shingle has a narrow edge portion indicated at 50, about one-twentieth of an inch thicker than the remainder of the layer 24. Then the ilm 26 is applied to the layer 24 beginning at the lower edge of the thick portion 50 and extending down a distance equal to or slightly greater than the overlap between successive rows of shingles.

This provides the applicator with an easily identifiable portion into which to drive nails or fastening means 52 to ax the roofing to `the roof deck S4, indicated as made of wood.

The outstanding insulating power of such a structure must be experienced to be appreciated. When it is very hot outdoors and cooler inside, the mirrorlike surface of the film 26, which constitutes substantially the entirety of the surface from which heat could radiate into the building, will radiate, at any given temperature, only a small fraction of the heat that would be radiated by the ordinary black asphaltum that would` occupy lthisposition according to the prior art. This permits the body of the material abovethe thermal barrier set up by the inefficient radiating surface, to become ve to tendegrees hotter, with correspondingly greaterA removal of heat by warming the air in contact with the outside. Under many conditions of service it also keeps the temperature inside the structure considerably more than live to ten degrees lower 4than would otherwise be the case.

On the other hand, in winter when the temperature outside is from thirty to sixty degrees lower than the temperature inside, radiant heat from the inside impinging on the film 26 is often reflected, under favorable circumstances, to the extent of ninety percent. This not only reduces `the heat supply necessary to maintainthe desired inside temperature, but it permits the material above the film to be materially colder, and greatly reduces the melting of snow and the load of drainage and icicles on gutters, etc.

In `applying lthe invention to roofs made of lock shingles such as that illustrated in Figure 4, having a central body 56 and a variety of interlocking projections 58 to hold the shingles down, .the shingle in ythe finished roof structure does not have a single area along its upper edge exposed to the interior, but the exposed inner surface is of irregular configuration and includes areas quite low on the body of the shingle. Accordingly, such shingles may be produced from a strip carrying film 26 across its entire width. However, the particular shingle 56 illustrated can be laid with complete film coverage, if the film only extends between the dotted lines 57. This saves some material and also leaves naked asphalt at the top and bottom, which can adhere to underlying shingles.

It has been ascertained that the effectiveness of the mirror-like surface of the lm 26 is contingent on having at least an ininitesimal air space between it and the supporting structure, whatever that may be. In other words, the direct thermal conductivity of aluminum is greater than that of asphaltum, and such a layer in complete intimate contact with other solid material on both faces is no thermal barrier at all. Accordingly, for optimum results on new roofs, I prefer to provide a roof deck 54 with 4at lleast the upper surface of the wood unplaned and carrying the tiny striations or irregularities resulting from the sawing operation. In fact, if such lumber is cut with a relatively coarse saw, the additional size of the corrugations is advantageous. Thus in Figure 3, I have indicated corrugations at 60 and also -in Figures 5 and 6. To get the full advantage of such corrugations, where. a a little additional expense is permissible, I omit the thickened edge portion 50 and extend the film 26 to the extreme edge of the shingle as indicated in Figure 6; or I lay a narrow tape of insulating, reproof felt at 62 between the thickened edge portion 50 and the roof deck 54. In the first instance, the corrugations 60 result in a inal structure in which considerably more than fifty percent of the iilm 26, even in the area close under the head of the nail 52, is still out of contact with the roof deck by a few thousandths of an inch, and that is enough to secure the thermal effect. Thus, a construction without the insulating strip 62, but with the ilm 26 extending to the extreme upper edge, can provide as much as and usually more thermal resistance than the insulating strip. Thermal tests have indicated that, under optimum conditions, a single lm of aluminum can constitute a thermal barrier comparable to more than an inch of conventional insulation.

Others may readily adapt the invention for use under various conditions of service by employing one or more of the novel features involved, or equivalents thereof. Excellent results have been obtained using a iilm with a thickness of 0.00035 inch. It is believed equally good thermal resistance can be secured with a film having a thickness of 0.00015 inch. The choice appears to be a matter of delicacy in applying the iilm 26 without rupture, and the slight additional cost of the greater weight of metal used with the thicker lm.

An important additional function, when the film is mechanically impervious as well as optically opaque, is the protection of lall material above it from moisture from the roof deck.

When laid over previous roofing, the grits of the previous roofing take the place of the saw kerfs of unplaned lumber.

As at present advised with respect to the apparent scope of my invention, I desire to claim the following subject matter:

1. A weather-resistant outer covering for buildings, and the like, comprising, in combination: a supporting structure; overlapping elements, each having predetermined sruface portions facing inwardly, and exposed to said structure, or to the space inside said structure, and other surface portions overlapping other similar elements; said elements being of weather-resistant material; the inner surf-aces of said elements being of relatively low heat reecting and relatively high heat radiating and absorbing capacity; and a substantially continuous optically opaque 4 film aixed to the exposed inner surface of each element; said lm being of relatively low heat radiating and absorbing capacity and relatively high heat reflecting capacity; said ilm lying in direct contact with the asphaltum of the shingle itself and conforming to the contour thereof; the exposed area of each element being in a belt along the upper half of said element, and the lower unexposed portion of each element being devoid of lm.

2. A weather-resistant outer covering for buildings, and the like, comprising, in combination: a supporting structure; overlapping elements, each having predetermined surface portions facing inwardly, and exposed to said structure, or to the space inside said structure, and other surface portions overlapping other similar elements; said elements being of weather-resistant material; the inner surfaces of said elements being of relatively low heat reilecting and relatively high heat radiating and absorbing capacity; and a substantially continuous optically opaque film afxed to the exposed inner surface of each element; said film being of relatively low heat radiating and absorbing capacity and relatively high heat reilecting capacity; said film laying in direct contact with the asphaltum of the shingle itself and conforming to the contour thereof; said elements being interlocked and having irregularly arranged exposed inwardly facing areas; said film covering substantially the entirety of the inner exposed areas of each element, leaving a narrow uncovered band adjacent each horizontal edge thereof.

3. A combination according to claim 1 in which the outwardly exposed area of each element is in the form of a plurality of spaced shingle-like downwardly extending tabs separated by upwardly extending slots, and said llm does not extend down farther than the upper ends of said slots.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,094,893 Grant Apr. 28, 1914 1,790,643 McGary et al. Feb. 3, 1931 2,016,429 Hayden Oct. 8, 1935 2,153,015 Voigt Apr. 4, 1939 2,161,440 Venrick June 6, 1939 2,244,352 Young et al. June 3, 1941 2,472,100 Fair June 7, 1949 OTHER REFERENCES Designs of Insulated Buildings for Various Climates by T. S. Rogers, pages 23-24, an Architectural Record Book, pub. 1951. 1

Sweets Catalogue File (Archit.) 1954, Sec. 7a/So, pages 3-4. f 

